Kory Kindle opts for school over soccer

Rapids defender steps away from a sport he's played since he was four years old

February 18, 2014

ColoradoRapids.com

Kory Kindle has known little else apart from soccer since the age of four, but he has taken the bold decision to walk away from the sport to pursue a career path outside.

The 22-year-old from Ventura, California, arrived in Colorado as a second round draft pick in 2013. He failed to feature for the first team but did start seven reserve team games before an ankle injury, and then hernia, brought his season to a premature close.

"I started thinking about this last year, when I got hurt," Kindle explained. "It put things into perspective. I was thinking 'if I really want to do this, how motivated would I be to get back and get healthy?'"

Kindle now expects to return to school for the next year, and then apply to graduate schools in the hope that he can achieve his new goals of a doctorate in physical therapy. And he has not dismissed the notion of one day returning to the sport he loves.

"As of now I'm not really sure what I want to do in physical therapy," he added. "I'd love to be in the sports side, and be with a team, but as of now I just want to go back, get my degree and work to that next step."